Hitting the Trails

A Guide to Good Gear

Cashel has a history of developing innovative products in its quest to make riding safer, more convenient, and affordable. The Lite Trail, the company’s lightest saddle to date, tips the scales at only 20.5 pounds. But despite its light weight, this next-generation trail model is big on features designed to appeal to all types of trail-riding enthusiasts.

Security and comfort are essential for both horse and rider when traveling over uneven terrain. It should come as no surprise, then, that Cashel puts this combination high on its priority list when creating saddles for trail use. Nor does "lightweight" have to mean plain and strippeddown, as this saddle illustrates.

The Lite Trail's build begins with a fiberglass-encased tree and a cotton-poly blend lining. It sports a smooth, chocolate leather skirt and a rough-out seat with extra cushioning, something most riders are sure to appreciate on those long excursions. Light aluminum stirrups are standard on the Lite Trail, which also comes with a matching breast collar. The standard gullet size is 6.5 inches; the saddle comes in 14-, 15-, and 16-inch seat sizes. cashelcompany.com; (800) 333-2202